A federal judge turned to Ted Henifin after infrastructure breakdowns in Mississippi’s capital city caused residents to go days and weeks without safe water last year
Water is flowing again to nearly all of Mississippi’s capital city. It’s a stark contrast from a year ago, when Jackson’s 150,000 residents could never be sure what, if anything, would flow from their taps when they needed a drink, a shower or to flush the toilet. The majority-Black city also faced occasional warnings that their water could be contaminated and needed to be boiled, and people had to wait in line to get fresh water.
Last August and September, infrastructure breakdowns caused many people in Jackson to go days and weeks without safe running water. A federal judge brought Henifin from Virginia in December. Since then, he says he’s been laying the groundwork for an improved water network. “The system is acting like what I would consider a normal water system for a city of 150,000,” Henifin said. “In the future, we shouldn’t have city-wide boil water notices.
One of Henifin’s top priorities has been increasing Jackson’s revenue collection from the water system without raising rates in a city where roughly a quarter of the population lives in poverty. He initially floated a plan to price water based on property values to shift the burden away from Jackson’s poorest residents. Months later, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law mandating that water be billed based on personal consumption, not other factors like property values.
When he first arrived, Henifin told the AP he would race to finish his work in one year or less. Now, he has decided to manage the water and sewer systems for up to four years. The extended timeframe will allow him to implement more of the $600 million trove of federal funds allotted to help the city's water system, most of which hasn’t been spent yet. He also said he feels more connected to the community than when he first moved to Jackson.
In September, activist groups who want more of a say over water system reforms asked to join a federal lawsuit against the city for violating safe water standards. Henifin said the activists don't speak for most people in the city.
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